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Thursday, June 30, 2011

6 months of 2011 have passed by and it looks like our momentum is getting higher and higher. Now lets take a look at what we have done in this month!

This month, we are working with Wendy Ding for our 12 months of [Pop Up] Flavors. Her fashion journal is simple amazing and we love the idea of transforming ordinary clothing to high fashion garments. This month, she has showcased 10 pieces of her journal with us and we are hoping to see more from this series in the future!

We continue to contribute articles to Swide this month and we have amazing fashion illustrators Jennifer Lilya and Tara Dougans and Ben Cornford as the feature artist of the week. Also, we have written a very cool entry about the material lace which you have the chance to see some emerging photographers and illustrators' works!

Last but not least, if you missed out the chance to see our the Burberry S/S 2012 menswear runway show live on our site, you can click here to catch the show!

Next month is going to be interesting and also, I Scream Awards is coming back soon. We can tell you this summer is going to be amazing!

Regardless of what season the collection is made for, the key to Valentino's design is always lightness. The lace, the embroidery and the bead works offered an angelic look; the floral prints and their signature bow are creating the fantasy mood. Although the cut of the suits are simple, they are the statement pieces as they can be timeless and effortlessly beautiful.

Pros:
- the solidity of the weightless design
- the statement suit

Cons:
- nothing about the collection itself, but maybe the background colour of the photos can be changed for a good cause.

We always love to feature fun and talented designers. Kron by KRONKRON is one that I recently love. Hugrun and Magni are the designers who run Kron by KRONKRON. They design very unique shoes, as well as beautiful hosiery and dresses. Let's see what they have for us today.

1. First and foremost, I learned that you are a fashion designer and Magni is a hairstylist. How did you two get together in the first place and with what motivation to start this awesome business together?
Oh infact then we are a couple. We met each other on a blind date, Hugrún moved in the day after and we have been couple and working friends since then, we opened our shoe store Kron 3 months later (2000), 4 years after that we opened our clothing store Kronkron and 4 years later we launched Kron by Kronkron which today includes shoes, clothing and hoisery . So we have to say that things happen quiet naturally for us. It´s all ment to be.

I am pretty sure a lot of readers are missing Lisa's works and today I have a special treat for you. Lisa has recently illustrated 5 looks from the Louis Vuitton Resort 2012 collection and there is one element common among them: all pieces are in blue. As per usual, her illustrations are amazing and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

One of my favorite photographers, Todd Anthony Tyler, recently has a new editorial up on Fantasticsmag and I love it a lot. The whole shoot takes place at a bamboo forest which I feel it is very refreshing. The model has the skeleton make up which has a big contrast with the pure bamboo forest. I really like the use of natural light in this series and I have to say the clothes are very nice (props to Karina Smith). What do you think?

Neil Barrett has once again presented an amazing collection for this S/S 2012 season.

The color palette is inspired by the military troops and he has brought in the houndstooth pattern into this collection. Because of the pattern, I find the pieces to be very refreshing. If you are a fan of this fashion house, you should be familiar with Barrett's slim cut designs. As per usual, these pieces in this collection do not disappoint his fans at all. Overall, this is a very solid collection and I would love to own a few pieces from it.

Pros:
- This collection has an amazing military inspired color palette. I especially like the military green.
- Amazing use of the houndstooth pattern. This pattern looks like pixels to me on some of the pieces.
- The slim cut jackets/blazers are as per usual flawless.

Stefano Pilati has recently presented the Yves Saint Laurent S/S 2012 during Paris Fashion Week and I am very impressed by it. There is no dramatic piece or shocking color palette, but instead you get a collection that is focused on the tailoring. Some pieces I really like include the dobule breasted jacket, navy blue cropped jacket, trench coat and the black tuxedo suit. This collection is suitable for gentlemen who like slim cut designs with minimal details on their clothes.

Pros:
- The navy blue and sand tone color palette gives volume to the collection.
- The cutting on every piece is great, it helps to showcase the strength of the man's body.
- The snakeskin loafer looks good to me.
- Love some of the military inspired pieces.

Cons:
- I think Stefano can have a few more designs with the cross strings design. This could lead up to the signature element of this season.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Walter continues to create a colorful and fun collection and it is rare to see so many colorful pattern pants on the runway. The blazers are something I will want to have in the next season and there are some very interesting hollow cut sweaters and shirts presented in the collection as well. Of course, how can you not like the last few looks of the show? I believe only Walter can put this fun element in a collection without making it cheesy. Bravo!

Pros:
- Yet another colorful collection. I love the lavender and the orange.
- I really like the colorful prints on the blazers.
- The last few ruffle looks are too much fun to look at. This proves there should be fun in fashion, not just serious black and white pieces.
- The gloves, just like the ruffle monster looks, will be good for editorial.

As we have always said, Sarah Burton gave a more feminine touch to the brand, yet keeping the legendary dark romantic elements. Here in Resort 2012, Burton used the slim A-line silhouette, exaggerating the slim waist line while showing off the details at the lower back as an contrast to the waist line. Military components are joined with the Victorian lace, creating another exciting combination for the season.

Pros:
- very attractive silhouette
- solidity of idea through out the collection

After owing an item from Dries Van Noten this S/S 2011 season, I am very excited to see what he has in store for me next spring. Interesting enough, the color palette is inspired by the France's country flag and stripes is the dominate factor in this collection. The cutting seems to be more refined and I just cannot take my eyes off those trench coats as they look very chic and functional. Overall, I think this is a very solid collection by Dries and it would not hurt if I could get some pieces next spring.

Pros:
- Love the France flag inspired color palette.
- The stripes pieces are great, especially the blue/red/white ones.
- The trench coats are my favorites in this collection.
- It looks like the cutting is less boxy this season.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Let's blend the California prints to the French tailoring! The result of this combination is the S/S 2012 collection of Jean Paul Caultier. Not only does the print catch my eyes, but new color combinations of the signature blue/white stripes have given the men more options to purchase this iconic print from the fashion house. I am also in love with the red floral print pants as it looks very refreshing and bold. Now, what can I expect from this master in the F/W 2012 season?

Pros:
- I love the California palm beach print, very summer breezy.
- The color variation of the signature JPG stripes is great, now we have more options.
- The floral print pants is amazing, and it doesn't look feminine at all.
- True to the JPG slim and sleek cutting.

Cons:
- Too much going on in this collection, hard to define the signature look.

If you put two of my favorites, Madame Peripetie and Royal Academy of Arts Antwerp Master students together, what do you get?

Answer: An outstanding fashion portrait set!

Madame Peripetie continues to post the surrealism twist on the images and these graduates all look very stunning. Of course, there is a strong futuristic vibe here and Rolf Buck (stylist) and Julia Heiermann (makeup/hair) have done an amazing job on the styling and makeup/hair. No doubt, this is a very breathtaking portrait series.

By now, I am sure you are all ready for the Fall/Winter season so today I am showing you some of the bags I like from the Burberry Prorsum collection. I like the bags and color combinations of these bags and also, the fur clutch is something you may want to invest if you have lots of classy events to go this Christmas season. What do you think?

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Viktor & Rolf kicks off the 2nd day of Paris Fashion Week with a colorful collection. This season, the inspiration is from the ocean and bright blue sky as you can see there are dolphin and palm tree prints pieces throughout the runway show. I also like the denim element here as this makes the collection to be more appealed to then younger generations.

I surely can find some items I want from this collection as the cutting of the garments fits me very well.

What do you think?

Pros:
- Great use of color palette, very refreshing.
- Really like the denim factor in this collection
- The use of light fabrics is great.
- The tailoring skill of this collection is as per usual, amazing.

Cons:
- Not a fan of those sandals.
- The collection is very predictable.

Viktor and Rolf continues to amaze us in their Resort 2012 Collection. Though the jaw dropping transformation series had done, this collection showed the duo had moved on from one fascinating idea to another. Wide leg and high waist trousers bring us back to the 80's, but the exaggerated collars and sleeves are for the moderns.

Daphne Guinness is no doubt one of the fashion icons in this world right now. Recently Documentary filmmaker Brennan Stasiewicz has done a short documentary on this fashion icon and it is shown on NOWNESS. This short documentary is very artistic and it has clips of Daphne's performance at the Barneys New York's display window. Somehow, I feel like there is the Lee Alexander McQueen element in it, can you see it?

Saturday, June 25, 2011

During Luminato last week, Tourism Toronto and Tourisme Montreal have invited Martin Lim to do an interesting art presentation. In this presentation, models were standing in front of a projector on the sidewalk of Bleury street in Montreal and this live stream was shown on one of the display windows at Bell Light Box Cinema Center in Toronto. During the 30 minutes performance, the models were in silence and station position which pedestrians were welcome to interact with them. The goal for this presentation was to let the the public to experience an alive paining.

A very nice way to present the F/W 2011 collection. I am totally buying this concept! Bravo!

For this coming S/S season, Pringle of Scotland is going for a functional, yet chic approach. Alistair Carr has injected colors to some ordinary designs to give them an edge. Also, the prints are very refreshing and attractive which fit the spring and summer weather a lot. I personally am not a shorts person, but I appreciate the pocket detail on them (I can see a lot of men will wear them on the street). Overall, this is a very well edited collection.

Pros:
- I love the color details on the blazers, which injects a new energy to the ordinary pieces.
- The prints are amazing, especially the checkered print.
- The cuttings of all the tops are very nice.

This season, Moncler Gamme Bleu's collection is inspired by fencing and the many of the garments are actually very functional and wearable. Even though the color palette is not as vibrant as the other brands, I have to give credit to Thom for the details on the clothes. One of the pieces I really like is the cream trench coat, which I just cannot take my eyes off the design of it.

It is always interesting to see Moncler Gamme Bleu presentation during fashion week and this season is no exception. I wonder what sport will Thom pick for next season...

Pros:
- Many of the pieces are functional and wearable.
- The details on the clothes are amazing.
- I love the stripes.

Friday, June 24, 2011

It looks like the glorious time of Versace is coming back. First there is Lady Gaga wearing vintage Versace for the next 2 months, now comes this amazing menswear 2012 S/S collection.

The color is very vibrant in this collection as you can see red, pink, yellow, blue and green pieces throughout the runway show. I am so happy to see the return of the Medusa logo as this is the trademark of the brand. Also, the use of buckles is amazing, which those buckle pants are already on my wish list. Overall, this collection has a strong 90s vibe and I hope for next season, Donatella will re-introudce the amazing silk printed dress shirts from the Giannia Versace era. Bravo!

Pros:
- The big return of the Medusa logo. This reminds me of the nostalgic memories of Versace's glorious days.
- This collection has a strong 90s vibe, but with a modern twist.
- The color palette is so vibrant, Donatella uses almost every color you can find in a rainbow.
- The bags are very nice.
- The zebra/stripe print is fantastic, especially it blends so well with different colors.

For this S/S 2012 collection, D&G has 2 main elements: the use of foulard and denim. The prints on the foulard are bold and vibrant and they give off a strong 90s vibe (really, they remind me of MC Hammer). The cutting for this collection is leaning towards the relaxing fit so you can see the silhouette to be softer. My favorite piece of this collection is the foulard blazer, it is simply stunning!

What od you think of this collection?

Pros:
- It's all about the foulard and the prints on it are absolutely beautiful.
- This collection has a very strong 90s vibe.
- Some of the denim pieces are very nice.
- The foulard printed swimming trunks look very good for the summer.

It's the end! This is the final image of Wendy Ding's fashion journal and we hope she will continue this series so that we can be amazed by her creativity! We really hope you enjoy all the images in this project and if we see any new works from her in the future, you can count on us that we will be talking about it on this site! You can also take a look at Wendy Ding's official website to see more of her works!

Now, here comes the final image...

When you were illustration this outfit, which fashion house were you thinking at that moment?
Marc Jacobs

Which celebrity do you think will fit well in this outfit?
Heidi Klum, Janelle Monae

Tidbit: A play on taught (bodice) vs baggy (pants) with model Noémie Lenoir as muse. I seem to have a thing for floppy sun hats lately, must be because summer is here. Flatform sandals took me awhile to wrap my head around, but when paired with something elegant it makes for an eclectic playful look.

Louis Vuitton menswear collection is as per usual, very classy and wearable. This season, the color palette is from the 3 colors you see on a France's flag plus brown and black. The muse Kim Jones has in mind for this season is Peter Beard, the artist and long term chronicler of East Africa and its wildlife. Damier pattern has become the major element of this collection as you can see it is applied on both clothes and accessories (the new red and blue combination is very eye catchy). Also, Marc Jacobs and Kim Jones transformed the normal quilt pieces into mongram quilt designs (called "Champs Elysees") and I think this is brilliant! Overall, this is avery impressive collection and get ready for the red/blue Damier invasion!

Pros:
- Love the use of the France's flag as the color palette.
- The red/blue Damier scarf is very nice.
- The monogram quilt design is very innovative and I like it a lot.
- Pieces are highly function and wearable. The collection has the satorialist meets sportswear feeling.